Fluid Flushes in Savannah GA
A CarCare.org survey found out just how much we neglect our car’s fluids. At community events across the US, they discovered that 26% had contaminated washer fluid, 23% needed new engine oil and 19% had coolant that needed serious attention.
A seriously positive part of being a customer with Integrity Auto Repair is a follow-up email after your first service which invites you to sign up for OwnerAutoSite.com which keeps track of your service history with us automatically,showing you exactly what your manufacturer recommends to be done to your car at certain mileage intervals, along with a history of what’s been done and when.
All that aside, there are other fluids in your car that need service and it is not a rip off to get them done when they are needed. The little known secret is that even the best mechanics can’t visually inspect many of the fluids that may need attention. Certainly not the mechanics at the quick lube places or big box stores who are being paid close to minimum wage.
Most of us know that our cars need an oil change regularly, but is it as often as Quik-E-Lube tells us? The best way to know is the consult your car’s owner’s manual. It may not be every 3000 miles, but definitely every 5000 miles. And though oil change franchises are not in cahoots with the auto manufacturers, they do want to encourage more oil changes if possible.
Oil is great example of what we’re talking about. It’s one of the most important fluids in your engine. Its special properties give it the ability to reduce friction between all the moving parts and it carries away heat from the engine block. Most oils break down after a certain period of time because of the high temperatures it endures, making it slightly gummy and less slippery. This makes the sliding, springing and impacting parts inside the engine grind each other down.
Engine oil also contains additives that neutralize corrosive acids, but it has only a certain amount of that capacity before it can’t do it anymore. Oil based lubricants also absorb water, dust and combustion byproducts that eventually saturate it to the point where the old oil is actually doing bad things to your engine.
Ever feel like you are being lied to or taken advantage of when different shops tell you that you need to do this-or-that fluid flush? The truth is there are various fluid systems on your vehicle aside from the engine oil that do need to be flushed out from time to time. Another fact is that you are open to being taken advantage of when you do not keep adequate records of your repairs or if you do not follow your manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule.
The transmission fluid in your car should be changed at regular intervals. If you ignore every other fluid but the engine oil and transmission oil then you are money ahead. One of the most costly car repairs is replacing a worn-out transmission. It is no guarantee that changing the fluid will insure its survivability, but it’s worth the buck-fifty or so to have it serviced with a fluid flush as a precautionary measure to increase its longevity.
The brake fluid, power steering fluid, differential fluids, and coolant (antifreeze) all should be checked and serviced at the appropriate times as well. And some cars have additional fluids that are special just for them.
As I always say and it is worth repeating: do what your owner’s manual tells you to do, not what some salesman tells you to do. They make money off of you doing those services with little care about the value that it may or may not be adding to your car. At Integrity Auto Repair, we desire for you to be a lifelong customer and even friend, so we will not sell you anything you do not need or that you would not benefit from.
